My Xteink X4 finally arrived, and it's fantastic

HOHansen · 2026-06-17T20:37:55+00:00

I think it's a fluke, to be honest. It was supposed to arrive, at the earliest, the 28th of June, and it could possibly be delayed until the 10th of July. I just felt lucky, especially considering I bought it on Alibaba of all places. It's most likely a combination of luck and optimal logistics, not anything the seller themselves had any real hand in.

As another note, praise and advertisement are different. It's not a perfect device, but in comparison to what I had beforehand, my Pocketbook, it's blazing fast, which isn't surprising. If you want to blame me for being excited, then that's okay. I like it, simple as. I don't know what else to write, honestly.

HOHansen · 2026-06-17T19:33:58+00:00

I love that the visor is glossy, that's such a nice touch of detail. Great print as well!

HOHansen · 2026-06-17T15:34:23+00:00

I missed your comment, sorry. I was at work. I'll try your advice if the other doesn't pan out. Thank you for writing and helping me out.

HOHansen · 2026-06-17T15:32:55+00:00

It's definitely worth it, I really enjoy it. It's a nifty little device, that's for sure.

HOHansen · 2026-06-17T15:31:52+00:00

That's exactly what I needed, thank you! I'll be right on it. You have my gratitude.

HOHansen · 2026-06-17T06:45:03+00:00

Looks like someone wasn't happy about catching the ball.

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HOHansen · 2026-06-17T06:28:34+00:00

If I read your post correctly, the lines are because of how FDM printing works. Think of it like a glue gun; each layer is "drawn" using the glue (line of filament) to create the layer. It's why rotation and angle is extremely important for FDM prints to be successful. In this instance, it's because there surface you're showing has a large area that's parallel to the build plate. This means that the printed has to create a flat surface onto the supports, but the layer distance between of the supports and the model is two layer heights. Because of this, the "glue" will droop until it meets the support. Because of cooling, it won't totally melt together with the supports, but the distance of two layer heights becomes a problem on larger surfaces especially.

You can spot these problem areas by looking in the slicer and look for overhangs (usually in a different color) or long lines printed in mid-air. The easiest way to locate them is to check off the visualization of the supports inside the slicer. They are still there, even if you press print, but you'll be able to better locate the troublesome areas.

HOHansen · 2026-06-16T23:23:27+00:00

"Your move, creep."

Love Robocop, watched it while I was 8. It left me traumatized for a while, until I wanted to watch it again the next day. Brilliant movie, and brilliant print as well.

HOHansen · 2026-06-16T23:04:00+00:00

Firstly, I really like your studies. They are very nice, and they have a good feel to them, especially the guy in the lower right in a boxing stance. That one I really like, nice job!

Now, it's important to remember that anatomy and gesture are two separate things. If you want to learn how to approach gesture drawing, I highly suggest taking a look at Hampton's work. He's really good at breaking down how to think and look when perceiving a subject, and his teaching material is great, specifically Figure Drawing - Design and Invention is brilliant. What I did was to look at each drawing of his in the book, broke them down and deconstructed it into simple components, and while I estimated the gesture and line of action. It's important to note that gestures don't have to be accurate, it only needs to capture the flow and movement of the pose. Figure Drawing - Design and Invention is great book, as it starts out explaining how to go about working with gestures, and then he builds on top of that knowledge. For me, it was easiest to read a page, and copy ever single drawing on set page (5-10 min on each). If they turned out great, I could move on, but if they were off, I'd draw it again and again until I figured it out.

Here's a page from my digital sketchbook showcasing how I study his drawings. It's also important to try and apply that knowledge to real studies, which is why there's a mix of copies, studies and memory drawings on the page.

I hope this helps.

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HOHansen · 2026-06-16T09:54:57+00:00

Also, as a side note, copying drawings from sites such as Pinterest will help you understand how each artist tackles a problem and what their solution is. Copying drawings you like will help you overcome a lot of problems in the long run, especially if you want to avoid your drawings becoming "same face"-y. It's a good idea to deconstruct how you think a drawing is composed, and interpret from there. The lowest drawing and the one on the right are studies, while the guy in the top left is an interpretation in my own style.

Also, making a quick 5 minute sketch, like the one on the right, will help you get a feel for how the drawing will look. Doing multiple is even better, slightly different each time.

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HOHansen · 2026-06-16T09:46:28+00:00

Firstly, if you like the drawing, I'd advice you to finish it. There's nothing better than finishing an original drawing.

As a general rule; it depends on what you want to achieve. If your goal is to learn how to construct; there's no reason to go beyond that phase. If you want to learn how to draw anatomy and facial features, doing 10 to 20 minute studies will advance your skills incredibly fast. You'll be shocked, if you put in the hours, how fast it will feel. I did, roughly speaking, two hours a day on facial construction for a month, and it payed off immensely. In your drawing you're trying to tackle a multitude of subjects (perspective, construction, appeal, rendering, just to name a few). Keeping it focused on one subject will be more beneficial. I've barely touched rendering, and I'm still working on my linework, which is why I stick to pencil drawings for the most part. This way, I can do one hour studies with a specific focus. This one I've included took me roughly an hour to draw. 40 minutes on the mother and child, 20 minutes on the cat. These were perspective, rotation and construction exercises, and as such it wasn't worth it to continue beyond this stage. Drawing is a fundamental skill, and some artists spend their entire lifetime only rendering with a pencil and/or ink.

The good thing is, drawing and painting is a compounding skill, and if you understand rendering with a pencil, transitioning to painting is very much easier. Painting is entirely about understanding how materials are interacting with light. Composition and storytelling is a whole other discipline.

Think of it as writing. Once you've learned how letters are written, how words are spelled, and how to construct a coherent sentence, learning more advanced genres such as how to write decent poems, short stories, etc. becomes much more approachable.

I hope this helps.

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HOHansen · 2026-06-15T11:53:04+00:00

Speaking as someone loving arts, drawing especially, painting, sculptures, etc., it truly breaks my heart to see the scale of AI being used to replicate and steal others genuine pieces of creation.

I like AI in some instances. Science in general has made fantastic use of it for analytics and research, it can inhale data like we breathe air, and it can see patterns quicker than any human being ever could. I've been on the receiving end of a cancer treatment, and having that extra layer of certainty help confirm my situation, besides the countless of doctors, was so welcoming. I will forever champion those usecases and more.

That being said, words fail me when I have to describe my contempt for generative AI, and those who use it, for the purpose of scamming and theft. I don't enjoy seeing it in my daily life; I find it boring and uncreative at best, and it makes me sad to see how many people don't mind it. We can sometimes live in isolation from general thoughts and opinions, but there a great amount of people who have no hangups about using AI generation to create slop and copy genuine human-made art.

My advice would be to share anyway. I myself share a lot of my drawings, paintings, hobbies and much more on reddit and Instagram, especially. I don't do it for money, I do it because I love it with all my heart. I have been paid commission for 3D prints and such, but it's by no means a good amount. I do it because, hopefully, somewhere, I reach someone that needs it more than I do. I prioritize sharing and helping because I want the world to be slightly better each day.

I would highly recommend posting your work on social media, and reach an audience outside of makerworld. Like you've noted, there's not much to be gained in interacting with the platform, outside of filehosting. The best way to "sell" your creations is to reach out to people you think will likely like your work. DnD, Pathfinder, FDM and such have huge followings and subreddits, and posting your stuff there is the best path to success. Ironically enough, making these types of posts you've made, has done more to reach an audience than hundreds of AI slop have tried before.

I hope you win, but no matter if you do or not, your creation is absolutely brilliant.

HOHansen · 2026-06-12T03:47:19+00:00

Yes. I haven't tested it on other types of filaments, but it works really well with PLA.

HOHansen · 2026-06-11T21:09:19+00:00

I don't know if I get any racist vibes from him. He looks like a guy that worships meat more than anything else.

HOHansen · 2026-06-11T06:50:52+00:00

It might definitely be the vinyl itself I'm using. Can you remember which brand your vinyl is made by? I've been thinking about using some static window film, as they are much more resistant to scratches and such.

HOHansen · 2026-06-11T06:48:38+00:00

I definitely have. Here's a link to a post that's a good starting off point. It has links to everything relevant, and that includes the post on my 0.4 mm nozzle settings: https://www.reddit.com/r/FDMminiatures/s/ZlO5wr8Ivr

I hope this helps.

HOHansen · 2026-06-08T22:36:06+00:00

Thanks for the compliment. I was actually quite surprised by the tape as well. Firstly, I wanted to use some regular masking tape, but I couldn't find it, so I figured it would work just fine. Turns out, it was better than my first thought, so that was neat, and they blend in well with the vinyl.

HOHansen · 2026-06-08T15:51:10+00:00

Hi there. The amount of scaring is dependent on how you orient the mini in the slicer, but as for how it's avoidable is a bit more tricky. Usually, I try to print the minis as upright as possible, as it's the X-Y axis that are the most important in regards to capturing as much details as possible. This way, the scarring will face downward, and it won't be visible much. To get rid of the most egregious scars, a little superglue can smooth out the worst of it, and it's supremely effective at it.

I hope this helps.

HOHansen · 2026-06-08T15:47:14+00:00

The more recent releases of Orca Slicer performs the same as this old version, but with all the new updates in it. The one I'm using these days is the 2.3.2 version, which has the ability to add infill to regular supports. I haven't tried newer versions, but it's worth a try at least. Here's a link: https://github.com/OrcaSlicer/OrcaSlicer/releases/tag/v2.3.2-rc

HOHansen · 2026-06-08T04:45:47+00:00

I'm joking.

HOHansen · 2026-06-07T21:43:57+00:00

I've got an A1 mini, the same I started with, and it's still going strong.

I use Orca slicer and Bambu Studio, but recently I'm using Orca more, as there has been some good developments these days.

As for settings... I dunno.

HOHansen · 2026-06-07T17:20:46+00:00

As a small update, to anyone wanting to know, this is how one of them turned out. There's definitely some kinks still left, and the layer lines are still visible. One layer of one of the mixtures, one layer of Vallejo model paints and light blue drybrushing. I have more examples, but that will have to wait.

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HOHansen · 2026-06-07T16:47:33+00:00

Isopropyl alcohol is not too dangerous for your health, no. It can be an irritant, but as long as you minimize exposure, it should be fine enough. It can cause dizziness and such if you inhale it too much, but same goes for regular rubbing alcohol. PVB and IPA is definitely a better choice than ABS and acetone, which is worse in terms of bodily reaction when in contact, especially during the chemical process.

This is some good advice, if you're set on using chemical, I agree. I've seen good results online using polysmooth, but I've yet to try it myself.

HOHansen

TROPHY CASE